He will not have failed. Catchy, always mobilized, Benoit Paire did not implode in flight against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Saturday January 22 during the 3rd round of the Australian Open (6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4). He even, at times, made the seeded number 4 doubt by the unpredictability of his game. But, if the head and the illegible shots were there, one ingredient was missing so that the Frenchman’s cuisine did not take completely: a first ball.
Deprived of this weapon during the first two sets (48% of first serves and 6 double faults), the Avignonese clung on but could only suffer the opposing offensives. His serve finally eased, at the end of the third set, and Paire was able to compete.
Ooh ahh, Benoit
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By managing to keep his engagement, the Frenchman was logically less frustrated in the exchange, he forced his shots less and suddenly played fairer. Encouraged by his usual small cohort of supporters, Paire took the Greek to the tie-break of the 3rd round where he made an almost perfect decisive game (7 points to 2) to win this set.
By instilling a false rhythm in which he excels, the Habs gradually got into the head of Tsitsipas, sometimes helpless against an opponent who made all the points, the winning shots as well as the unforced errors. The double semi-finalist in Melbourne may even have already embarked on a new decisive game of all perils in the fourth set when, 5-4 in his favor, the demons of Benoit Paire chose to wake up. At the worst of times for the Frenchman.
Two double faults and two unforced errors offered, on a silver platter, the key to the eighth round for Tsitsipas. In the end, the Frenchman could certainly harbor contrary feelings after this defeat. On the one hand the pride of having worried Tsitsipas a little and of having still made a few magic moves, on the other the frustration of a redacted end of the match when there was room to cast even more doubt on his opponent. Demons and wonders. Isn’t this duality unique to Benoit Paire?